


The Song That Bleeds

by angstyelephant



Series: The Knights of Gotham [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: I wrote this to depress jayctivist, constructive criticism is always appreciated, it was v fun, ive had this idea for so long you have no idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 11:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5706367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstyelephant/pseuds/angstyelephant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which a song haunts the city of Gotham, and the Knights of Justice are lost forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Song That Bleeds

The frigid rains of Gotham fell into the city and attacked a hurrying Robin. As the smallest bird flew across Gotham’s buildings, a brief whisper repeatedly escaped his lips. It was a meek sound that contrasted the angry rainfall. If one was close enough to the bird, one could hear the unnatural sound.

**"I'm sorry."**

Damian leapt across buildings as fast as he could. His cape fluttered behind him and his hood protected his head from the cold rain. He never glanced back and kept his eyes glued to the front.

  
He stopped on a random rooftop and stared at his hands. His greatest nightmares became a reality, for his hands were stained with the blood of his family. He remembered what he had seen on the rooftop of Wayne Enterprises.

  
He saw the dull gray of his father’s once-sapphires eyes. The eyes that Gotham’s women fawned over was taken, and the voice that stirred Gotham’s villains in fear was dead. Bruce Wayne was gone, with a red Bat carved into his chest and a bloodied owl feather in his hand.

  
He saw the handsome Nightwing broken and twisted. His limbs were twisted in homage to his acrobatic past. Blood flowed out of his skull in homage to the death of John and Mary. A single knife stuck out of his heart in homage to his ancestor. Dick Grayson was killed for denying his destiny and fate.

  
He saw the resurrected Red Hood, killed again. His red helmet was abandoned and the mask that hid underneath was ripped. The broken domino revealed one former-turquoise eye looking up in fear. A rusty and clearly old crowbar was jammed into his heart; the dried blood hid a feather stuck to the tool. Jason Todd, killed once by the Joker, felt fear again before his second death.

  
He saw the intelligent and tech-savvy Red Robin broken and bruised. His eyes were closed and blood spilled from his mouth and onto a feather. His joints were bent in ways no human could bend. His chest had a dent where it looked like someone with super strength punched repeatedly. Tim Drake was killed by a metahuman, and the signs pointed to his lover, Superboy.

  
He saw an ear piece, one that connected the whole family to each other and to Oracle, sitting in a blood smear, next to a small owl feather. It was a horrible sign, that Barbara Gordon was dead in her apartment.

  
He saw Batgirl, the third to take the mantle and the fourth Robin before him, in a tortured state. Cuts and bruises marred her body and the bat insignia was ripped; the tears were covered by owl feathers to protect her modesty in death. Stephanie Brown was tortured to death, the same way Black Mask had done years before.

  
He saw Black Bat curled away from the other bodies. The once-assassin seemed untouched and in a blissful slumber, yet the bruising on her neck said otherwise. With an owl feather clutched in her hand, Cassandra Cain was killed the same way she had killed Faizul when she was eight.

  
Damian teared up at the memory. His family, the ones that loved him regardless of who his mother and grandfather were, were gone. They were dead.

**"I'm sorry."**

Damian was born to be a killer, trained to be a killer. When Bruce took him in, he was still a killer. Somehow, this misfit team of heroes changed him and helped him see the good in people. They helped him see love, and he had led them to their deaths.

  
The youngest Wayne fell to his knees and cried. He cried and cried for the loss of his father, his brothers, and his sisters. He cried for the loss of his love.

  
“You led them to us.”

 Damian looked up, and in the rain, he saw their spirits. The entire Batfamily stood in front of him, alive and unmasked. Damian wondered if this was an illusion.

Batman’s dark blue eyes stared at him with discontent. _How could you?_

 Red Robin and Red Hood looked triumphant. _Told you he couldn’t be trusted._  

Nightwing and Oracle didn’t meet his eyes. _Why?_  

Batgirl looked murderous. _I knew you hated us, just not this much._

Black Bat looked at the boy with sadness in her brown eyes. _I thought you loved us._

**“I’m sorry.”**

“You led them to us,” Bruce’s voice cut through the rain. “We trusted you, we let you into our hearts and our homes, and you led them to us.”

 “Face it, demon spawn, you’re a murderer,” Tim spat.

 “Who’s going to look after Gotham? Who’s going to tell my dad?” Barbara looked at Damian. “Who’s going to save us all?”

  
“I love you all. Please forgive me.”

Damian wept again and again for the loss of the only people who loved him, before feeling a stabbing pain in the back of his neck. All he saw was red, then black.

  
Past the torrential rains, one could hear whispers of legends being told. They spoke of an ancient cabal that controlled every part of Gotham, and a killer that loved killing Waynes. 

_“Beware the Court of Owls that, watches all the time…”_


End file.
